Shettar to lead BJP campaign

The Bharatiya Janata Party in Gujarat faced the Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi and registered a thumping victory. The party’s Karnataka unit has decided to adopt a similar strategy and will face the Assembly elections under the leadership of Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar and retain power, Deputy Chief Minister and president of the BJP State unit K.S. Eshwarappa has said. A decision to this effect was taken at the party’s ‘Chintan Baitak’, a meeting, in Bangalore on Saturday, he told journalists here on Sunday.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who was a strong votary of facing elections under collective leadership when the former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa was in the party, said, “The decision was a strategy adopted by the BJP to counter the move of its opponents.”

On the deadline set by Mr. Yeddyurappa, Karnataka Janata Paksha leader, to decide the fate of the BJP government, Mr. Eshwarappa said the BJP was not perturbed by such threats. Mr. Yeddyurappa had set such deadlines earlier too, but they had no impact on the stability of the government, he said.

‘Exaggerated’

He said Mr. Yeddyurappa was exaggerating number of BJP MLAs loyal to him. Mr. Yeddyurappa’s strength had diminished after his quit the BJP, he claimed.